


How To Bond With The Blue Paladin

by Ninke_A



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Black Paladin Keith, Blue Paladin Allura, Failed Lion Bonding, Getting Together, Gift Fic, M/M, Red Paladin Coran, Steward Lance, how do I tag this?, lion switching, missing shiro
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-22
Updated: 2017-06-22
Packaged: 2018-11-17 06:18:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,161
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11269716
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ninke_A/pseuds/Ninke_A
Summary: Lance's attempt at bonding with the Red Lion, does not go as planned. Fortunately, he had a backup plan. Sadly, Keith does not like it. So, he makes his own plan to show Red a better way to bond with Lance.





	How To Bond With The Blue Paladin

**Author's Note:**

  * For [quiiiznak](https://archiveofourown.org/users/quiiiznak/gifts).



> I asked numerous people on Tumblr recently for permission to use one of their ideas for a Red Paladin Lance fic. Sadly, none of them agreed. So I sat down, thought hard, and came up with this. Not as good as their ideas, but I'm pretty happy with it. I think my dialogue could use some work though... 
> 
> Please let me know what you think of it? 
> 
> Jess, I really hope you like your alternate present!!!

With Shiro gone, everyone, even Allura had agreed that Shiro’s wish for Keith to pilot Black should at the very least be attempted. Pidge had glared so strongly that no one even considered asking them to change lions and Hunk had finally gotten comfortable in Yellow, so, in the end after several discussions, it was decided that Allura would attempt to pilot Blue and Lance would fly Red.

Lance had insisted on being the one to take Allura into Blue, something that had earned him many eye rolls but whatever it was that happened inside the cockpit seemed to have worked because Lance came out alone, and Allura was making excited sounds over the comms. When Allura left Blue, she was smiling widely, apparently pleased with Blue’s welcome.

Keith, who was anxious about his own lion switch, just kind of nudged Lance at Red, and walked toward Black. Lance stared up at Red, aware of eyes watching him. He slowly walked forward and started his way up the ramp, when Red’s mouth suddenly closed, taking Lance with it. She shifted and then was in the air, out of the airlock before anyone could move, twisting, moving at a speed far more suited to Keith who knew her quirks than Lance who did not. She rolled, dove sharply, barely missing the edge of the castle, then spun around quickly, landing back in hangar, shaking her head back and forth.

“Red! That’s enough!” Keith’s shout was loud, even over the speakers.

Red opened her mouth and Lance tumbled out, helmet clattering, as he scrambled backward faster than anyone had ever seen him move before. Allura was practically doubled over, Pidge was giggling and even Hunk was smiling, but that ended when Lance shot to his feet. His hands were clenched, knuckles bright white against his tan skin. There was a bruise blooming on one cheek and a bit of blood from a cut near his hairline. He was literally shaking as he stared up at Red.

“Okay then.” He turned, walking right out of the hangar with everyone staring after him.

For a long minute no one moved, until Keith came running around the corner, from Black’s direction, skidding to a stop in front of Red.

“Red, why would you do that?”

“Wait,” Pidge started. “So that wasn’t Lance being funny?”

Keith glared. “What? Why would you even _think_ that? Lance screws around but never when it’s important like this. He knows we have to do this to get Shiro back.” Keith knew that, because Lance had actually pulled him aside earlier to stress that he would do his best to take care of Red until they got Shiro back. Keith had believed him, and he had never felt so much glee from his lion before. If he didn’t know better, he would think she was pleased with this little stunt.

Lance re-entered the hangar then, tugging Coran behind him. Coran looked extremely confused. Lance’s face face was blank and he passed all of them without a single word, continuing to lead Coran along. He stopped right in front of Red and pushed Coran forward. He nodded once and turned right back around to leave, stopping only when Allura stepped in his way.

“Lance? Are you.. Well?”

“I’m fine. Coran can fly Red. I’m done.” He stepped past her and again left the hangar.

Pidge and Hunk both had their mouths hanging open and Keith was quietly fuming. Coran stepped back from Red. True, he had wanted to pilot her before, in fact he had been excited to try it. But, now, he wasn’t so certain.

Keith kept staring at Red. Her joy had grown when Lance came back, but when he had shoved Coran at her and announced that he was finished, it had faded abruptly, and now she felt almost mournful. Keith did not understand any of it. “What did you do, Red?”

Allura frowned and motioned the others to follow her. Keith was the best person to handle Red right now, and she wanted to check on Lance.

 

*********

 

When Allura finally found him, Lance was sitting in Coran’s chair, comparing symbols and muttering under his breath. He didn’t even look up when she approached. She watched for just a moment, as he mumbled about barriers and proper lens adjustments. Allura knew Lance had been spending a lot of time with Coran since Shiro had vanished, but she had been completely unaware of how much her paladin had learned in that time.

“Lance, may I speak with you?”

Immediately, he raised his head, hands stilling on the screen. “Yes, princess?”

She mulled over her words for just a tick before she started. “I wanted to make certain that you are alright.”

He actually smiled up at her. “I am, I put some of your oil on the cut and I can’t even feel it now.” He looked back down, then immediately back up at her. “I can’t pilot Red, Princess. That’s kind of obvious now. You and I both know the convincing I had to do to get Blue to agree to let you fly her.”

Allura found it hard to argue with that. She had been surprised at how much Blue had resisted, especially since she was the most welcoming Lion.

“Perhaps, I could attempt to pilot Red?” She honestly didn’t think it would work, especially after seeing Red’s reaction to Lance.

Lance just shook his head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. The only reason I didn’t get hurt more was because I managed to get my arms around the seat during the dive. Besides,” Lance smiled a bright cheerful thing. “Coran has been teaching me a lot about the castle lately. Since most of our training was going to be teaching you how we fly and work together, I don’t see why they can’t teach both of you. Coran can teach me what I need to know to take care of things here.” Lance turned his back to face the screen but kept talking. “It’s not a great situation, I know that, but if it works then we can manage it until we find Shiro. Besides, like Coran said, it would be good for one us know who how to do his job, just in case. Having all of us able to pilot a lion can only aid us in the end right?”

She really wanted to disagree, but she couldn’t. He wasn’t taking it personally, no. Instead he was trying to figure out a solution that would get them back on track quickly. He was taking this seriously and made several good points. Allura felt that if nothing else, she should at least consider his idea just as gravely as he had proposed it. It was true, that it would be good for the team if there was someone else to take over in the event of an extended visit in the healing pods, or due to a sickness, not just for the pilots but for her and Coran as well. A drawback, though is there would be two inexperienced pilots instead of just one. However, they had already agreed to keep their distance for a while, to give Allura a chance to learn and to look for Shiro. She mulled it over several times, and finally decided.

“Very well, Lance. We will give your idea a chance.” She was surprised at the look of shock that crossed his face. “You have obviously thought this through, and you presented it to me calmly and rationally. I will return to the hangar then, and leave you to your studies. We will, arrange for a proper training time for you to learn after we are finished with the Lions, is that acceptable?”

Lance nodded, “Yes.. thank you, Princess.”

 

*********

 

Keith was beyond furious. He understood, in a way, why Red had done what she did. She had explained that she had just wanted to show her welcome to Lance. Keith was her paladin, but she had understood the need for the arrangement, and had been trying to show Lance that despite him not being her paladin and she not being his lion, that they could still be a good team, so she had done what Keith enjoyed, going fast and full of tricks to demonstrate her maneuverability. She had just… forgotten that he wasn’t strapped in the seat yet.

Keith was still angry though. Lance had vanished, and Allura and gone after him. Red was now a sulking presence in the back of his mind and all he wanted to do was find Shiro so that everything could get back to normal.

Allura and the others all came back into the hangar, minus Lance and Keith grit his teeth together. Okay, sure, he could understand Lance being a little leery to get back in Red, but he had stood there and told Keith, to his face, that he would work hard to get Shiro back. Skipping out like this was the exact opposite of that.

“Where’s Lance?”

Allura frowned, but ignored him. “Now, as you are all aware, we had agreed that it would be best for Lance to fly the Red Lion, but as we all saw, that did not go very well. Therefore, in an effort to keep our plans on track, Lance has proposed an alternative solution to this issue. I have considered it, and I believe we should attempt it.”

Keith stared and opened his mouth to yell but Pidge actually beat him to it.

“You wanna use Lance’s plan?” Pidge didn’t quite yell but they got very close to it.

“I do and I am happy to explain why.” Allura straightened her shoulders. “His suggestion was for Coran to pilot Red, and I to stay in the Blue Lion, as it took a great deal of convincing for Lance to get her to agree to it. I am unsure if you are aware of this, but Coran has been teaching Lance some of the finer nuances of running the castle. Coran?”

He stepped forward, one hand behind his back and the other curling the edge of his moustache. “Indeed Princess, I have. If for some reason either of us become ill, then it would be prudent for one of you to know how to handle some of the everyday systems and controls. Now, as you know, we do have limited power if the Princess is indisposed, but these systems will still work for a short time. I on the other hand, know a great deal about how to repair and maintain this castle and that information should be known by another. Lance expressed an interest recently and has been doing quite well at learning what I have taught him thus far.”

“Therefore, his suggestion of staying in the castle and continuing to learn is a wise one.” Allura announced, directing a glare at Keith, who sullenly bit his lip. “His logic behind Coran taking the position of Red’s pilot, is also sound. If one of you is injured, or possibly ill yourselves, then it would be good if we have replacement pilots.” She paused for just a tick.

Keith couldn’t believe it. Red’s attempt to bond with Lance had turned into a huge mess. “Allura,” He waited until she was looking at him to continue. “Red didn’t reject Lance.”

“She threw him around her cockpit!” Hunk exclaimed. “How is that not a rejection?”

Keith winced. Yeah, okay. It did sound bad when Hunk put it that way. “She was trying to show him her uh.. positive traits and got a little.. Out of hand.”

Pidge snorted but said nothing else.

“I mean..”

“Either way, Keith,” Allura interrupted gently. “I have agreed to attempt Lance’s suggestion, and we will do just that. It was your suggestion that we allow Lance to try and pilot the Red Lion. We did that. It is only just, for us to do the same for Lance.”

Allura had a point. Keith hated that, but it was a valid point. He knew how insecure Lance was about his place on the team. One very late night in the main control room, an argument that started from nothing and ended with Lance yelling that he was worthless had clued Keith in pretty quickly to that. Keith had made a serious effort after that to at least listen a little more. If Allura did just dismiss Lance’s idea after agreeing to it, Lance would likely not take it well, and Keith didn’t want that either. He just wanted Shiro back,so he could go back to flying Red and finally.. finally do what he had promised himself he would do after they had defeated Zarkon. He would go after what he wanted… Lance.

 

*********

 

The lion training went better than anyone thought it would, as both Allura and Coran managed to fly somewhat straight, even if Coran stated multiple times he felt very uncomfortable in Red. Allura seemed to be having far less problems there, explaining that Lance has spent a large amount of time the last few quintants talking Blue into accepting the temporary change. Once it was finished, they all went in search of Lance. By now, Hunk and Pidge had warmed to his idea, and were excitedly chatting about the various other things they could learn about the castle and it’s systems, while Coran kept correcting them with long explanations.

They found Lance in the main control room, with three screens floating in front of him, the mice hanging off him while he worked. Chulatt, the littlest one, was on his shoulder, while Plachu the long skinny one, was sprawled on his head. Platt, the largest one, was poking his head out of Lance’s pocket, and Chuchule, the pink one, was chittering at him from his knee.

Coran immediately went over to Lance and hovered over his shoulder, causing Chulatt to squeak at him. It took only a couple of ticks before he launched into one of his rambling speeches but Keith was surprised to see that Lance was listening to every word. Allura had been right. Lance was taking this seriously. He hadn’t been lying when he told Keith he would do whatever was needed to help find Shiro, and Keith immediately felt guilty for his earlier anger, for doubting him.

He looked around, at Hunk and Pidge, still talking about something that sounded far too complicated for Keith to understand, at Allura, who was already at her place, beginning to scan for Shiro, and finally at Lance and Coran. Keith felt alone all of a sudden. He generally did when Shiro was gone, but before today, he had Lance to keep him company, now… he didn’t even have that.

 

*********

 

Surprisingly, it took a grand total of five quintants, and one fight with a small Galran patrol for Keith to be completely done with this arrangement. The patrol was small, so there was no need for Voltron, which was honestly a relief for everyone, as no one really felt right about forming the robot without Shiro and Lance, but Keith had hated every second of it. Black wasn’t as fast as Red, and while Pidge and Hunk could hold their own, he spent more time looking after Coran and Allura than actually fighting. He couldn’t really use any of their existing strategies, and it felt so wrong to hear Lance back at the castle, feeding them information like Coran usually did.

Then there was the other thing Keith had noticed. Lance would not go near Red. Coran had taken them all into the hangar, and had been walking Lance through the details of the lions and how to insure they were operating and being maintained properly. They had started with Blue, because that was the lion Lance knew best, and then moved on, from Yellow, to Green. But when they reached Red, Lance had stopped, peered up at the lion and then laughed, stating that there was no way he could judge Coran on proper lion maintenance. Coran had chuckled and they had continued on to Black, but Keith had seen how Lance kept his distance from Red but was perfectly willing to climb all over the other lions with Coran.

He needed to fix this.

So Keith did something he never thought he would. He went to Allura.

“Princess, I’ve been thinking, and I.. feel that with all the recent changes, it would be a good idea to take a day to get our heads on straight.” He had thought over what he wanted to say, and he was dedicatedly sticking to it. “You and Hunk and Pidge have been working non stop both in training and looking for Shiro. They need to decompress..” He paused, then explained. “It means relax and clear your head. Lance and Coran have been running all over the castle and it would be good for them to take some time, and do something they enjoy, even if it’s just a nap. I mean… you can set the castle to search for Shiro for a short time right?”

Allura was frowning slightly, “Well, yes… but.”

“I know that it’s a bad time, and that we all have a lot of work to do.. but,” Keith sighed. “Shiro wouldn’t want us to push ourselves so hard that we all collapse.” That was good. Yes, that would work.

Allura’s frown never wavered but she did nod slowly. “I suppose that you do make a valid point, Keith. But, I do not feel comfortable taking an entire quintant as a break. I would be willing however, to allow training until lunch and then permit free time afterward, will that be acceptable? I do not wish for us all to...collapse but, I also feel we are making good progress and I do not wish to hinder that.”

That was good enough for Keith. Just the afternoon to do whatever he liked? He already knew what he wanted. “That’s fair. So, then.. I could take Red out for a short flight? It might be good to remind her that this is only temporary…”

Allura considered then nodded. “Very well. However I must insist that you stay within sight of the castle, just in case something does happen.”

“Of course! Yes, I will.”

“Very well then, I will announce it tomorrow at breakfast.”

 

*********

 

Allura’s announcement has been short and well received, training went even better than it had before and by the time lunch rolled around, even Coran was looking forward to the break. As they all split off, Keith sidled up to Lance, catching him by surprise and wrapping his hand around Lance’s arm.

“Ah, geez, don’t do that, Keith!” Lance jumped, and mock glared.

“Sorry,” Keith honestly was, but he needed Lance to stay put. “I need to talk to you, can we go to the hangar?”

Lance’s brow wrinkled slightly, but he shrugged easily enough. “Sure thing, O’ Fearless Leader.” His tease was casual and expected, but without any meanness tainting his tone and he easily fell into step as Keith started toward the hangar. The walk was short, but Lance kept it filled with his chatter about what he had been learning lately. While it was good to see Lance so involved, and he had been working hard, Keith still didn’t like the situation.

When they arrived, Lance drifted away a bit, as he always did, toward Blue, to brush his hand along her leg. Keith didn’t move to stop him and kept walking finally pausing just a bit closer to Red than Blue, feeling relieved when Lance joined him.

“Okay, so what’s up, mullet?”

Keith flexed his hands a few times before answering. “We have free time right now.. And I wanted to know… if you would come with me on a flight… in Red?”

Keith’s eyes were fixed on Lance’s face. At first it was confused, then a smile started to grow before it vanished at the mention of Red. His eyes darted from Keith to Red and back, before finally Lance shook his head.

“Nah, that’s okay. It’s a nice offer, but I’d better not.” Lance shifted a bit. “I was just gonna nap for a bit and..”

Keith inched closer. The smile, no matter how brief it had been, was encouraging. “Lance, come on, come flying. You love flying and you haven’t been able to for a while now.”

Lance shifted a bit, but still shook his head. “You haven’t gotten to fly Red in a while either. I’m not gonna butt in on that..”

Keith caught Lance’s wrist. “I want you to. I want you to fly with me. I want you to see what Red and I can do.” He also wanted Lance to feel okay with Red. Shiro may be his leader, his true North on a compass, always pointing him in the right direction, but Lance was his partner. The one he fought with, in more ways than one, He wanted his lion and his partner to be good with each other. He had promised to show Red a better way of bonding with Lance, and Keith was absolutely going to make sure Lance could remember this one.

Lance shook his head, wrist shifting in Keith’s hold. “Keith, I _know_ what you and Red can do. I’ve seen it every time we train or fight together. You guys are great, you don’t have to show me.”

Keith let his hand drift a bit, sliding down to catch Lance’s fingers with his own, threading them together. “No, Lance.. You’ve watched us, but you haven’t been there _with_ us.” He tightened his hold a bit, watching Lance stare at their hands. “Come fly with me.”

Lance kept staring at their hands, then his eyes shifted to Keith, then to Red. He opened his mouth, then snapped it shut, head spinning to stare at Blue. After several ticks, his shoulders slumped, and he turned back toward Keith. “Okay.”

Keith had no idea what Blue had said, but he could feel Red’s pleasure at Lance’s agreement, and it echoed his own. A smile started on his face, and he kept his hold on Lance’s hand, tugging his slightly. “Come on then. Let’s go fly!”

It was obvious during their short walk that Lance was not as enthusiastic about this as Keith was, but Keith was not going to let that bother him. Instead he tugged Lance with him, enjoying every second of holding Lance’s hand. The grip tightened a bit when they started up Red’s ramp, but Keith had no intention of letting go. By the time they reached the pilot seat, Lance was tense, his shoulders tight and he let go of Keith to grip the back of the seat. Disappointed, Keith slipped into the seat, as Red got ready for their flight.

“Keith.. I don’t think this is a good idea…” Lance’s voice was quiet, almost small.

Turning so that he could loop up into his partner’s face. Keith shook his head. “You trust me, right?”

“Of course, but..”

“Lance. Yes or no?” He let a touch of his usual impatience into his tone, the words more of a challenge where before they had been an offer.

Lance rolled his eyes, shoulders finally relaxing a bit. “Yes, fine, okay?”

Keith grinned and turned back around, a moment later they were off. Keith reveled in how right it felt to fly Red again. In Black, he felt more like a visitor, but in Red, Keith felt at home in a way that he rarely did anywhere else. Based on tight grip Lance had on the back of the seat, Lance didn’t feel the same.

The turns and dips were the same as before, and Red was always fast, but Keith was there, to make sure that it was more controlled. While Red and Keith loved the feeling of free flying, doing whatever trick or maneuver came to mind in that second, the entire point of this was for Lance to feel okay.

For several minutes they twisted and dipped, made sharp turns and rolls. Lance’s grip never lessened but when Keith looked, his face wasn’t as tight as it had been. Keith really wasn’t sure how to break the odd silence they were wrapped in. So he did what came naturally, he teased.

“See, isn’t Red the best?”

Lance shook his head, a tiny smile at the corner of his mouth. “Uh, the answer to that Keith, is always no. Blue is the best.” He kept his eyes on the viewscreen. “But.. Red’s not bad.”

Red seemed pleased, even if it wasn’t much of a compliment. But, Keith could understand. He would always think Red was the best, so he supposed it was only right that Lance felt the same about Blue.

“This wasn’t a bad idea..”

Lance’s next comment made Keith grin. He was pleased that Lance was slowly warming up to Red. “So, do you want to fly her?”

“Uh, no thanks.” Lance’s fingers tightened again, and something dawned on Keith then.

“You do know, that Red didn’t reject you right?” Surely, someone had mentioned that to Lance, right?

Lance didn’t answer and Keith let Red just float for a bit so he could turn and look at him properly.

Lance was still staring out the viewscreen, hands still tight on the back of the pilot’s chair. After a solid thirty ticks of Keith staring and Lance avoiding Lance shrugged. “Yeah, Allura mentioned it.”

“Then why?”

“I’m not good enough to fly her, Keith. I said that the first time you suggested it. She’s…” Lance’s face contorted, like it always did when he was looking for the right words. “Quick and fluid. Only the best can really handle her, that’s why she’s yours.” He shrugged at the end.

Keith was torn, he wanted to tease a bit more, to keep this friendly and light, but he also wanted to shake Lance a bit, explain that he wouldn’t let just anyone fly her, and that he would never have suggested it if he hadn’t thought Lance could do it. Eventually, he settled for something in between.

“As nice as it is to hear you finally admit I’m the best, I think you would have done a fine job.”

Lance chuckled, slow and soft. “Thanks.. But I think it’s better this way. You guys don’t have to look after me now. Besides, Coran isn’t bad..” He wasn’t exactly good either, but no one was going to admit that.

“Yeah… but he’s not you.” Keith admitted quietly. It was always easier for him to say what he wanted to here, in Red, where he felt at home. So he took advantage of it, of this quiet moment, just the two of them, with no distractions, no nosey teammates. “It’s not same without you, without Shiro.”

Finally, one of Lance’s hand unclenched from the seat and patted Keith’s shoulder. “We’ll find him, Keith. But, I think… I may still have Coran teach me a few things. I think I may have found my thing… You know?”

Lance looked so pleased at that fact, a smile crossing his face, and his eyes softening. Keith hated, hated that Lance felt the way he did. He also knew that it was rare for Lance to admit it, to anyone. He caught Lance’s hand again, slotting their fingers together just as he had back at the hangar. Lance started in surprise but didn’t pull away. Keith took that as a good sign and tugged on their hands, earning himself a lopsided smile and an eye roll.

“What? I already said I’m not flying her.” The tease was light, not enough to break the quiet mood that was wrapped around them.

Keith tugged again. “Come here.”

Lance shifted, leaning over the side of the seat, smile still playing on his lips. “Hmm, what?”

Keith tugged one last time, hard enough to topple Lance’s balance. Lance ended up leaning over Keith, one hand braced on the back of the seat, the other still held firmly in Keith’s. Keith snaked his other arm around Lance’s neck and buried his own face in the junction of Lance’s neck and shoulder. It was a little awkward, and not really the best angle, but Keith had no intention of moving.

“Uh..”

“Stay.”

Lance shifted, pulled back enough to stare at Keith, who frowned at the distance. He had just gotten a hug, why had it ended so quickly? Then Lance sighed, just once and leaned back in, letting Keith tuck his face back.

Keith knew it was only a matter of time before Lance started talking, and he resolved to enjoy the hug for as long as it lasted. He knew what he wanted, he’d figured it out not long after their fight in the control room. He had decided then he would start listening to Lance more, but had ended up noticing all sorts of things, and it hadn’t taken long for Keith to fall for Lance after that. The thing was, that moment, lead to a decrease in their fights, oh they still argued, about almost everything, but the heat and meanness wasn’t there anymore. It felt more playful, fun, and Keith wanted it to stay that way. So, he had promised himself he would wait until Zarkon was gone before mentioning anything to Lance. Then, Shiro was missing and it didn’t feel right to bring up something like that when one of theirs was gone. It still wasn’t exactly right, but Keith refused to lose this now that he had it.

“You know.. I was pretty sure this would never happen outside of my daydreams.” Lance’s tone was soft, and he held Keith’s hand just a fraction tighter.

That made Keith pull back a bit, eyes landing on Lance’s face. Lance’s cheeks were slightly red, but there was a smile there, a little shy and uncertain but there.

“I always knew it would happen.” Keith stated, shifting his arm from Lance’s neck to his waist. “I just.. didn’t know exactly when.” He tugged lightly, smile twitching at the corner of his mouth.

Lance huffed a laugh, red growing on his cheeks. “So demanding.” Still, he followed the tugging, letting his arm drop from the back of the seat to curl around Keith’s neck and ending up perched on his lap.

Keith curled his arm a bit tighter around Lance’s waist. “Yeah.. But, it’s working out pretty well for us though.”

“True.. I guess it is..” Lance shifted a little closer, resting his own head on Keith’s shoulder.

Keith was in no hurry to get back to the castle. They had a lot to talk about, whether Lance would stick with his current role, or give flying Red another try. They still had to find Shiro and make sure he was alright. But right then, those things could wait.


End file.
